Land Surface Temperature in South Africa
South Africa: Land Surface Temperature was 28.62 in 2021. ▬ Flat
Latest (2021)
28.62
Change on year
down 3.4%
World rank
75th
of 192 countries
All-time high
31.38
in 2015
All-time low
27.87
in 2000
Years of data
22
2000–2021
Land Surface Temperature in South Africa, 2000–2021
Source: World Bank.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 28.62 for land surface temperature in 2021.
That represents a change of down 3.4% on the previous year and up 1.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, land surface temperature in South Africa peaked at 31.38 in 2015 and was at its lowest, 27.87, in 2000.
That places South Africa 75th out of 192 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the middle of the range.
Land Surface Temperature in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 27.87 | — |
| 2001 | 29.37 | +5.4% |
| 2002 | 29.37 | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 30.87 | +5.1% |
| 2004 | 29.62 | -4.0% |
| 2005 | 30.12 | +1.7% |
| 2006 | 28.12 | -6.6% |
| 2007 | 29.88 | +6.2% |
| 2008 | 29.38 | -1.7% |
| 2009 | 28.87 | -1.7% |
| 2010 | 29.62 | +2.6% |
| 2011 | 28.12 | -5.1% |
| 2012 | 29.37 | +4.4% |
| 2013 | 30.13 | +2.6% |
| 2014 | 29.62 | -1.7% |
| 2015 | 31.38 | +5.9% |
| 2016 | 31.12 | -0.8% |
| 2017 | 30.12 | -3.2% |
| 2018 | 30.38 | +0.8% |
| 2019 | 31.37 | +3.3% |
| 2020 | 29.62 | -5.6% |
| 2021 | 28.62 | -3.4% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 28.62 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 26.87, 1.1× the median. (57 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 28.62 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 31.37, 91% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 29.35 | 27.87 | 30.87 | 10 |
| 2010s | 30.12 | 28.12 | 31.38 | 10 |
| 2020s | 29.12 | 28.62 | 29.62 | 2 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 72 Brazil 28.81 compare
- 73 East Timor 28.69 compare
- 74 Dominican Republic 28.69 compare
- 76 Brunei 28.41 compare
- 77 Colombia 28.37 compare
- 78 Sierra Leone 28.22 compare
More environment data for South Africa
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 5.46 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 8.52 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.275 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.05 °C (2025)
- Wood-based panels — Production, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 2.59 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per unit 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), annual growth rate 0.2953 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is land surface temperature in South Africa?
- Land surface temperature in South Africa was 28.62 in 2021, according to the World Bank.
- What is the highest land surface temperature recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 31.38 in 2015.
- What is the lowest land surface temperature recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 27.87 in 2000.
- How does South Africa rank for land surface temperature?
- South Africa ranks 75th out of 192 countries with data for 2021.
- Is land surface temperature rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from the World Bank, published as part of Land Surface Temperature. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 22 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).